Starcrossed Pop Star
by Myst Knight
Summary: A series of romantic vignettes featuring Kirby with the various female characters in the game universe. Characters up: Ribbon, Ripple Star Queen, Adeleine, Chuchu, Bubbles (Clu Clu Land)
1. Ribbon

**Crying**

**By Myst Knight **

_Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land/Adventures of Lolo are owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it_

* * *

Character Expose: Ribbon

Kirby's gentle partner in Kirby 64. She crash-landed on Pop Star one day with a slew of troubles arising from the Dark Matter, and Kirby offered his assistance; no questions asked. They traveled across the stars in search of the crystal shards that would help them defeat this adversary, together with a troop of odd friends. His thanks for defeating Dark Matter was a kiss on the cheek from Ribbon, which sent Kirby into a lovestruck daze and a subsequent topple down a staircase.

* * *

The aurora of Dreamland's Rainbow Resort stood before Kirby like the masterpiece collaboration of artists enlightened by the heavens. With each different area more random than the next, it was as if each artist handed the masterpiece off to the next artist after fifteen minutes of work, who in turn handed it to the next. The result was a random work bound by a single, surreal theme. The illustrator Paint Roller would kill for a one-way-trip from Ice Cream Islands to Rainbow Resort; he would kill Kirby, at any rate.

But he wasn't here today, and it was just as well; Kirby had enough trouble on his flippered hands. In front of the pink puff was the starlined door leading to the final area: the lair of Marx, who was fresh from his defeat and ready to make another bid at the planet Pop Star. But before that, there was Meta Knight, standing before him like a masked hellfire demon. Apparently, he had taken up mercenary work again, and was prepared to earn his keep with the sharp side of his curved blade.

Basically, it all came down to the fact that Marx could no longer fool the sometimes gullible Kirby, so he was going about world conquering the old fashioned way: a massive army. His militia was mostly composed of the same goons that Kirby had dealt with before, but they were numerous, and then there were bosses to deal with. The two top contenders to worry about included of course Meta Knight, and there was also a fellow swordsman by the name of Don Medusa, who hailed from Eggarland. In that regard, Kirby followed suit, and formed his own gorup in response.

The Dreamlander had worked with teams before; he made friends easily no matter where he went. This time, though, his group was mostly composed of creatures he had rarely dealt with personally. Each one had gotten involved for their own reasons, but they did well at taking up the slack. They were handling the baddies right now, and Kirby chanced a quick glance behind him, despite Meta Knight's piercing gaze boring into him.

There was Sorablade, one of the avian Dynablade's brethren. He had grown into a proud eagle since the death of his mother at the Halberd battle, and was eager to wreak havoc on anyone connected to that tragedy, especially he could help his foster parent Kirby. Sorablade was currently doing just that, using his talons and to rip away at Meta Knight's goons. Their weapons had difficulty reaching something that could stay above their heads indefinitely, and they were being mopped up like a bathroom floor.

There was Bright, one half of the destructive duo Bright and Shine. The sun and moon team had cleaned up their acts since Kirby had fought them, but it seems that they had also gone their separate ways. It was a breakup argument of the ages, and Bright was currently taking that residual rage out on his enemies with tremendous fire-based attacks. Kirby just supposed absence made the heart grow fonder, and Bright needed a little time away from his opposite half.

There was Lolo, magic-using prince from the neighboring kingdom of Eggarland. Somehow, Lolo's finance Lala had gotten mixed up as a hostage in Marx's plan, and he had come along in hopes that they could mount a rescue. This fuzzy racket-ball of a creature was actually the most intelligent of their group, and he had taken it upon himself to solve any problems that couldn't be handled with force. This wasn't one of those problems however, so Kirby had lent Lolo his old Rainbow Sword, forged from the seven Rainbow Drops, to utilize against old foe Don Medusa, leaving Meta Knight for Kirby.

And then there was Ribbon, the fairy girl from distant Ripple Star. Kirby had been traveling with her for some time now, and had come along to the next big adventure as if it was only natural that she do so. Only, this was proving to be far more harrowing, as she had to deal with a group of beam-wielding Waddle Doos. She held up okay, tearing into the group with a special pair of tri-daggers, but was also having to expend a great about of energy flying about to avoid their deadly electric beam attacks.

"It isn't wise to turn your back on me," a gravely, threatening voice growled out, and Kirby whirled back around to his opponent. "I fight my battles with honor, but I'll slay you in a second in you ignore me." Meta Knight was ten inches of pure menace, and Kirby felt his flippers tighten around his weapon, the gigantic flaming zanbatou he had used in his third quest against Dark Matter. Like it was a security object or something.

In response to this, Meta Knight had changed weapons, and was now wielding an extra-long katana sword, powered with ice magic and sporting a blade of Role Playing Game proportions. He of course brandished it blade like it was a circus baton, spinning it behind his back with the blade sticking out. Kirby would have to rely on the sheer power of the zanbatou to knock Meta Knight off balance. Though you would never tell by looking, between the two of them Kirby was stronger.

"So it's you and me, Kirby," Meta Knight said, bringing his katana up to bear. "A grand duel, just like the days of old."

"Hey Meta Knight, why are you doing this?" Kirby asked, genuinely curious. "Can we just duel for fun?"

"Don't make me waste my breath," the warrior said contemptuously, curling up in his stance. "Prepare!"

And then Meta Knight was on him, rushing forward with an overhead swipe that Kirby was hard-pressed to defend against. He brought up his zanbatou just in time, and the two blades rang like a bell. Meta Knight quickly followed up the blow with an elaborate spinning strike, and Kirby shifted his weapon to deflect the attack. Thinking he had an opportunity, he swung hard at Meta Knight's side, but the warrior's control over his katana was absolute, and the attack was rebuffed.

As the two combatants went round and around, Kirby's mind wandered to Ribbon, still fighting valiantly against her Waddle Doos. How did she keep getting mixed up in such dangerous battles? Because she followed him, he guessed to himself, while wincing from the aftershock of a blocked blade. She had been following him, ever since that day one year ago.

* * *

Kirby was in his house, enjoy the finer half of a pizza, when Ribbon had just shown up one day at his door, looking exactly how he left her. Her blue eyes and short-cropped pink hair left no option for him, and Kirby once again welcomed her with open flippers. And so they were off again, going on whatever adventures came to Kirby. It was a grand old time, and they met many new friends, as well as new enemies.

It took a while for the truth to break through his innocent nature, but Kirby eventually realized that Ribbon wanted to be more than friends. She never pressed too hard, but always made it clear how she felt, with a kiss on the cheek or a squeeze of the hand. Lately, Kirby had responded more positively to Ribbon's attentions, letting her lean against his side during the late nights watching shooting stars. Ribbon had actually come to him like a shooting star; he knew good things were likely to come from the heavens.

Although Kirby's life was stagnant, he began to wonder if Ribbon was trying to become a permanent part of it. It seems she was in no hurry to go back to Ripple Star, and had been sleeping over at his house so many times that she started laying claim to certain things of Kirby's. The coffee mug was Ribbon's, the star pillow was Kirby's, the juicer Ribbon's, the portable grill Kirby's, and so forth. And he was slowly starting to realize that he liked it that way.

* * *

"You're getting sloppy," Meta Knight taunted, pointed his blade art Kirby's midsection. "A distracted opponent is no joy for me!" It was true; the warrior had managed to remove Kirby's zanbatou form his grip, which lay at his feet with Meta Knight daring him to try picking it up. Kirby figured he'd be able to roll away from Meta Knight's promised lunge, but it would be difficult to get back to the Zanbatou.

"Then try an Eggarland prince on for size!" a chirpy voice called out from above. Kirby and Meta Knight looked up to find Lolo bearing down on the latter with his long sword, fresh from his battle with Don Medusa. Meta Knight had to divert his attention for the moment to defend against a surprisingly powerful blow, strong enough to slide him along the ground. Lolo pressed his attack with a series of precise strokes, and Meta Knight was left at a loss for how to regain his ground.

By now, Kirby had regained his flaming zanbatou, and had joined his ally in a two pronged attack on the mercenary. Meta Knight tried his best to keep attacking, but Kirby and Lolo could easily block the strikes that the warrior had to divide between the two of them. The two worked well as a team, with Kirby providing the brute force,

It was when Meta Knight was reeling from a particularly hard blow of Kirby's that Lolo made his move. With his free hand stretched out in front of him, a magic circle bearing a pentacle appeared in the air, like "Magic Shot!" Lolo chanted, and a round bolt of energy sprang from the circle, impacting against Meta Knight's exposed flank and encasing him inside a magic egg. Lolo fired again, and the bolt knocked the egg clear across the battlefield into an outcropping, the egg cracking apart to once again reveal Meta Knight, winded and dazed from the whimsical attack.

Kirby and Lolo slowly walked across to the fallen Meta Knight, their weapons still at the ready. Meta Knight was covered in egg yolk and white, his katana twenty feet away and clearly unavailable. "It seems two on two isn't my style," he said, rubbing his mask to see if it had broken apart again. "I'll take my troops to tend to their wounds now."

Bringing up his cape in preparation for his traditional retreat, Meta Knight spared one last glance at Kirby behind the cloth. "You should tend to your troops as well, Kirby," he said quietly, with a certain knowing quality about his tone. Folding himself up in his cape, he sprang up and away into the purple-swathed skies of Rainbow Resort. In tandem, all the soldiers Sorablade had defeated warped away, somehow magically connected to their departing leader.

Kirby and Lolo stared at Meta Knight's exit for a moment, then at each other. Then, the put their weapons away; Kirby separating the zanbatou back into the Cutter and Fire ability stars, and Lolo sheathing the Rainbow Sword. "We should make sure to prepare for Marx before heading on," Lolo told him, his big eyes conveying the intelligent appraisal. "Let's see if everyone's okay."

Kirby nodded, and walked with him back towards the rest of the group. It seemed everything was fine. Bright had a few nicks and bruises from Meta Knight's goons, but was otherwise in pretty good shape. Sorablade hadn't been touched at all, and could give his all in the next battle.

And yet, there was something in their manner that seemed a bit off. Bright still carried his trademarked gruff demeanor, but it was almost as if it was some sort of mask now. Sorablade was much more honest with his emotions; his face carried a smoldering despair. "What's wrong?" Kirby asked, completely confused by this

The two just looked at him sadly, then turned their gaze behind them at a figure on the ground. Kirby stared beyond them, and gasped.

Prone on the ground was face-first Ribbon, moving very slightly. Her thin fairy wings were bent, and there was a large burn streaked on the front of her dress, no doubt carved in by a Waddle Doo's beam weapon. Miraculously, the hair-bow atop her head remained untouched by the battering she had received. But her eyes were weak, flickering with a fast fading life.

In a panic, Kirby quickly ran past Sorablade and Bright to aid the fading fairy. "Ribbon, Ribbon!" he cried, his flippers flapping wildly with. Arriving at her side, he brought her up in. "Ribbon, does it hurt bad?"

Ribbon didn't respond directly to this, instead just gazing at his puffy face. "Uuh...Kirby, I don't think I'll be able to have fun with you anymore..." she whispered, bearing waning smile for his benefit.

"We'll get you better in no time!" Kirby tried, his optimistic nature straining a bit under the weight of the current situation. "I bet there's a Maxim Tomato before we reach Marx!"

"No, no, I think I'll be going this time," she shook her head, her flippy hair shifting from side to side. "It's too bad for it to fix." She winced a bit, the pain from her injury catching up to her.

"Ribbon!" Kirby exclaimed.

Ribbon had the most curious expressions on her face: a sad smile that actually held some real happiness. "Us Ripple Star fairies don't live very long, except for the Queen," she told him. "I knew she didn't want me to leave Ripple Star, but since I begged, she said yes. I think she understood me. It didn't really matter, since I would've gone anyway no matter what she said."

"Ribbon!" he cried again, some tears flying from his eyes.

"Remember when we sat under Whispy Woods, and you let me have some of the apples he gave you?" The fairy was almost babbling as she struggled to say all she could with the time she had. "It was the first time you shared your food with someone else. I know how you love to eat, so it must've made you hungry. But you knew I was hungrier, so you gave some to me."

"Don't talk, Ribbon," Kirby told her, quickly grabbing her hand. "Let's get a Maxim Tomato, okay?"

"It's okay," she said, lightly squeezing back his flipper. "My life was always going to be short, but I wanted to spend as much of it as I could with you. I'm glad...I got to spend it with you."

Kirby could see her eyes starting to close, and did the only thing he could think of. He gathered Ribbon up and kissed her gently on the lips. Her eyes were alight with new life, a rough blush forming on her cheeks. She was able to return the kiss for a time, slowly moving her mouth in concert to his, before she separated from him to catch what little breath she had.

"It tastes like marshmallow," she said softly, a true smile on her face this time. Then, the twinkle in her eyes vanished, and she died quietly.

Kirby waited for a brief moment as Ribbon lay motionless in his arms. The land of Rainbow Resort was quiet around him, as if the winds were waiting in reverence. A single tear flowed from his right eye; he neglected to wipe it from his face. He just brought his flipper to her face, and gently closed her eyes in a semblance of peaceful slumber.

Then, an odd, mystical thing began to happen. Ribbon was becoming incorporeal, as if it was being taken to another life. She was transparent now, and Kirby could see his own arms through her body. When it was over, she had vanished completely, with only her bow remaining as an epitaph.

The three allies remaining slowly walked to Kirby's side, not sure on how to approach him. All of them were silent, solemn for a loss that didn't happen in Dreamland very often.

"Hey guys, go on ahead," Kirby said quietly, not looking up. "I'll be there soon."

He could hear footsteps and flapping wings falling away into the distance. Kirby for all intents and purposes ignored them, his gaze remained to the bow before him. He then felt a gloved hand on his arm, and he turned to find Lolo standing before him. "Do you want to sit out the fight with Marx?" he asked the Dreamlander, an unreadable expression on his face.

Kirby smiled at him as if nothing ever happen at all, though his eyes still glimmered with unshed tears. "I'm be fine!" he said, showing no outward sign of sadness. "I'll catch up in a minute."

The prince stood for a moment, as if deciding whether on not to buy it. Then, he turned around and followed Sorablade and Bright through the starlined door, his sheathed sword clanking at his round side.

Kirby watched him disappear out of sight, they resumed his attention to the empty space that Ribbon left in her wake. The bow still lay on the mosaic Rainbow Resort ground. Methodically, Kirby picked it up and tied it onto his left arm like some sort of sash. He regarded it as if it was some sort of medical gizmo, intravenously feedin him with life blood.

"You'll always be with me on my adventures, Ribbon," he said quietly, his expression turning as hard as it had even been. Then, he followed his allies, sans one, to the final battle, with the warm love of a fallen fairy filling his heart forever.

* * *

'Fin


	2. Ripple Star Queen

**Consort**

**By Myst Knight**

_Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land is owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it._

* * *

Character Expose: Queen Ripple

This is my name for the queen from Kirby 64 who sent Ribbon away from Ripple Star to seek help in defeating Dark Matter's corruption. Defined by her braids and glasses, Queen Ripple gives off a gentle aura...when she's not possessed! As it turns the Dark Matter had overtaken her too, which could've spelled doom in another reality. Luckily, Kirby and his Pop Star pals were there to thwart the threat with the power of the Crystal, and everything returned to normal.

* * *

Unclouded sunlight poured through the stylized meshing of the palace's tower window, shining down on the aptly named queen-sized bed and disturbing the slumber of its occupant. The unique, wingless fairy under the covers fidgeted lightly under the bothersome glare, but soon she gave into the call of morning and moved the bedspread aside, revealing a pair of lovely braids bound with bows. She grabbed a pair of spectacles and lightly placed them on her ears, tilting the bridge to adjust their focus. They framed violet eyes and a sweet face that was like a mother; benevolent, but with subtle authority.

Queen Ripple, in her pink nightie, wandered over to the lavatory to freshen up for the day. There was a strange moment as she appraised her portrait in the mirror, watching as feminine insecurely stared right back at her. She fluffed her braids lightly, testing to see if they remained fresh despite the long night. Grabbing a jeweled hairbrush, she combed her hair meticulously, her eyes wandering over to a dress hanging on a hook on the open door.

It was the royal gown of the ruler of Ripple Star, characterized by its long, exaggerated sleeves and frilly bows. Truly it was a dress fitting for the monarch of such a bright and tranquil place, and yet, it didn't suit her at all at this moment. She looked beyond the gown to a second outfit resting just behind it, and a silly smile overtook her lips. A moment later, she had changed into a lighter, summery version of the royal gown, flaunting the shorter sleeves and pleated skirt that made the ensemble look more like a seifuku than something a queen would wear.

Smoothing her skirt around her, she regarded the getup in the mirror, wondering if she really felt pretty. Then, she glared at herself with determination. "Okay, this is your big day!" she said, her expression almost resembling a grimace. "Be a good queen through the whole thing, and ask him!"

She didn't know if he'd say yes, though.

She huffed once more, and opened the door leading out of her chambers...and was hit with the sight of a pudgy, pink ball patrolling the hall. Kirby, famed warrior from Pop Star, was pacing back and forth with a musket perched on his nonexistent shoulder, a comically intense expression on his face. That intensity promptly melted into a bug-eyed expression as Queen Ripple's entrance startled him, and he fell down like a turtle on its shell. The gun toppled away and went off on the floor, an oversized boxing glove on a spring extending from the barrel with a distinct BOING! sound.

The young ruler giggled lightly, putting a hand to her mouth. "Good morning, Kirby," she said, her form contained in royal poise.

Kirby retained his startled countenance for a moment more, but he soon smiled, his boyish charm beaming through. He pointed a flipper-like arm towards her clothing. "You look pretty," he told her, his blue-black eyes glimmering.

Queen Ripple beamed like a sunrise, and performed a little twirl, her skirt flaring out. Now she felt pretty. "Thank you," she said, the girlish shyness from earlier returning via a flush on her cheeks.

To stop herself from getting any more giddy, Queen Ripple coughed surreptitiously into her hand. "Well, ehem, it's going to be a very hard day," she said in a queenly tone, straighten her glasses in a manner reminiscent of a schoolmarm. "I'll need you to be tiptop to defend me in my duties. Are you ready?"

Kirby nodded. "Yeah, but let's go on a picnic too!" he added, his request completely unabashed.

The shining promise of friendship touched her, and Queen Ripple was smiling once again. She raised her hand and prepared to speak, but was cut off by two high-pitched voices coming from the hall. "Your majesty, your majesty!" the pair of smaller fairies cried out, their small fluttering wings carried them quickly to the side of the queen and Dreamlander. "It's urgent!"

"What's wrong?" she addressed her servants, placing her hands on her knees and looking down at them.

"The Jr. Poppy Bros. and Bobos are into it thick!" the blue-haired majordomo, Mayflush, shrieked with a manic twinkle in her eye. "The Bobos accidentally ignited the Poppies' New Years fireworks ahead of time, and now the Poppies have barricaded the bridge and won't let the Bobos return to the prairie, even though it's their home too!"

"Queen Ripple, we need your judgment!" the red-haired handmaiden, Cherrybud, agreed, albeit a bit more calmly.

Queen Ripple regarded all this with a placid look, then set about calming the duo. "Very well, let's call the mediator Mumbie onto the scene," she began, putting both comfort and kindness into her words. "He's on great terms with both the Poppies and the Bobos. With him on our side, I'm sure we can all come to an agreement so that everyone can be happy."

"Right, right!" Mayflush said. Still spurred by anxiety, she darted though the halls and down the stairs leading to the audience room, where she hoped to find the right man to make the peace treaty happen.

Cherrybud remained floating in the air a moment more. "But your Majesty, what will you be doing?" she asked, her green eyes blinking in concert with her fluctuating confusion.

Queen Ripple turned away, and peered over her shoulder at the shorter fairy. "I'm going on a picnic with Kirby!" she said, tossing a wink behind her.

Kirby nodded happily, and reached for her hand. Suddenly, he took off wih a start, pulling the queen along with him. Queen Ripple laughed gaily, and let herself be dragged clear out an open window into the tranquil Ripple Star breeze. Both of them could be heard giggling as Kirby carried them both through the sky, courtesy of his fly-by-puffing ability.

Cherrybud regarded the floating duo for a moment more, and tilted her head to the side. "But it's weird obeying a queen who looks like a cosplayer," she said, pulling on the ribbon in her hair subconsciously.

* * *

The whole affair had started several years after the third battle with Dark Matter. Though the Dark Matter's angelic puppet O2 had been defeated at Dark Star, some facet of Dark Matter was still evident, because that the battle took place so close to Ripple Star. It seemed like nothing at first; just a few N-Z's that managed to crop up in the flower fields from time to time. It was after a Mariel dark spider creature got as far as the throne room that Queen Ripple began to once again fear the darkness that had once engulfed her.

Her handmaiden and confidant Ribbon had come up with the suggestion only fifteen seconds after hearing about the queen's latest nightmare. Some of the fairy folk were against having Kirby as the queen's bodyguard; though he had been awarded the highest honor of a crystal pendant, he had a reputation for clumsiness as well as being a fan of napping. At the Queen's order, though, Kirby was called from Pop Star to fill in as chief of security. And despite some setbacks, he proved to be as competent and plucky as ever.

And more. Queen Ripple smiled as she brought up a Maxim Tomato, waving it suggestively in front of Kirby, sitting across from her on the checkered picnic blanket. Kirby hopped up in his seat excitedly, opening his normally small mouth to gigantic proportions. She swung the treat back and forth, and tossed it up above the pink puff. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as he sucked it clean out of the air and into his mouth, smiling back at her as she clapped.

Though Kirby was always pleasant, he didn't quite treat her the same as her handmaidens and even Ribbon did. He obeyed orders without complaint, but wasn't cowed nor awed by her presence; to him, she was simply the cute braided lady he was sworn to protect. It was a change from the behavior of her subjects; sometimes, she felt like everybody's mother. But now was a time she could kick back and enjoy things the Dreamland way, the laid-back way.

The cupcake tossed and turned on a collision course with Kirby's mouth, ready to be ingested. Unfortunately, he had already filled his face with two sandwiches and a rice ball, so the confection ended up as a blob of splattered goo between his eyes. He looked cross-eyed for a moment, and slowly began to swallow his wad of food. His cute mannerisms were too much, and Queen Ripple laughed at his expense.

Kirby stared at her for a moment with his patented "he's a jolly fellow" expression, his eye twitching. But soon, that expression grew a touch mischievous, and he sought a pumpkin pie lying beside him. The queen's pretty face was soon covered with crust and filling, leaving only two bespectacled eyes peeping cartoonishly out from the mess. Kirby laughed like a jester, rolling about the picnic blanket like Marble Madness.

He ran off quickly with Queen Ripple chasing him in fury, swearing that she would put him in the stockades without snack time, by royal decree. But the false anger poorly hid the underlying friendship between, it was all fun, and the strange thoughts Queen Ripple had courted since the morn remained on her mind.

She still didn't know if he'd say yes.

* * *

The picnics were a welcome daily activity for the two; Queen Ripple hadn't cooked for a long time, and Kirby was always happy to enjoy her culinary creations. (sometimes he donned his chef hat and joined her) But that wasn't all they did. Many times they went to the sparkling beaches to frolic in the rolling waves. Kirby would splash water at her, and she would giggle at its cold caress.

And then, there was always business to attend to.

SCRRRACK! the gleaming blade arced down in a fiery swath, delivering the famed cleaver Sir Kibble an ironic end. As the baddie's bisected body disintegrated in a decidingly ungory glitter of stars and sparkles, Kirby brought his flaming zanbatou back under control from the wide follow-through that a swing of this massive weapon required. He pulled at the sword's cross-guard from either end, and the weapon split back into to Cutter and Fire ability stars. Putting the abilities away into some sort of subspace, he tossed a confident smile at the queen, whom stood behind him nervously with her hair and clothes blowing in the wind; the classic fantasy damsel.

She smiled gratefully at her hero, feeling her heart rate rise at the daring save. Kirby's benevolent strength seemed to be just for her. It wasn't entirely true, of course; the Pop Star warrior would have given his all for any of his friends. But somehow it all formed together in her mind as a cohesive whole; today, Kirby had fought for her alone.

It was times like this that got her blood churning, and spurring her into minding future. Though she looked as ageless as the sky, Queen Ripple wasn't getting any younger, even as Kirby grew into even more of an indefatigable hero. The female fairy folk looked at the stars for their soul mates, and it was especially important for the chosen Wingless Fairy to select one to rule alongside her. But she wasn't thinking about who would necessarily make a good king; she only heard her heart's irregular rhythm.

And so it had come to this. A candlelight dinner, just for the two of them, had been prepared by a foreign chef from Pop Star. There was baked potato, glazed ham, boiled greens, things too complex for the average palace fry cook. Everyone had cleared out of the dining hall, leaving everything perfect for the two to enjoy a meal and each other.

Kirby, of course, was just pleased to have a meal with a friend, and dove into the feast with much gusto. By contrast, Queen Ripple dined on a small platter of food; it was a silent acknowledgment between the two that the plate was hers, and everything else was Kirby's. All the while, she kept opening and closing her mouth, trying to find the right moment to bring up her question. She chose Kirby's third helping as the opportune time, just as he was beginning to slow down.

"Kirby, do you enjoy it here on Ripple Star?" she asked him, her expression serious, yet serene.

"Mm-hmm!" Kirby answered, his mouth still full of stuffing.

"Well, if that's that the case, then," She gulped. "...I would like you to be my consort."

"Hmgh," Kirby burbled, swallowing his mouthful quickly. "What's a consort?" he asked, his eyes wide and curious.

"If you become my consort, we'll be able to have lots of adventures like we do now," she said, apprehension engulfing her as she thought about what she was going to say. "You can continue to protect me as my bodyguard, and we can dance and k-kiss and you'll live on Ripple Star with me, in your own room at the palace. So, would you like that?" She felt the breath in her throat like a dumbbell, surprised that she had been so forward with with.

Kirby just nodded as if she had asked whether he preferred to have beans instead of cauliflower. "That sounds great," he said, reaching for some more turkey pot pie.

Queen Ripple was a bit dumbfounded by this anti-climatic resolution, and leaned in closer. "Are you sure?" she asked, her eyes twinkling uncertainly behind her thick glasses. "You don't mind leaving Pop Star to live with me?"

"Ripple Star is nice, and I have lots of friends here," Kirby explained, an earnest expression on his face. "And I love pretty Ripple-chan a whole lot."

Queen Ripple felt her cheeks erupt in a flush deeper than a nontoxic crayon. And before she could do anything else, Kirby stood on the tabletop and ensnared her lips in a kiss. She felt her breath fade away, as this round creature took the initiative and deliver an ace from the ball in his court. Had Kirby somehow always known it would come to this? Was he always prepared to say yes.

_It tastes like turkey,_ she thought, as her eyes slowly fluttered closed and her questions faded away. She sank into the kiss, welcoming her new consort with a heart brighter than Ripple Star itself.

* * *

'Fin


	3. Adeleine

**Coloring**

**By Myst Knight**

Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land is owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it.

* * *

Character Expose: Adeleine

She is the young artist who resides on Pop Star, famous for her etchings that fly off the canvas and come to life. Although she is frequently turned against Kirby via Dark Matter's possession, at heart Adeleine is a sweet, helpful girl. She has changed her look over the years; before she was known as "Ado" and had a shorter haircut. She is also a bad fighter.

* * *

The stubby spires of Castle Dedede peaked above the equally dwarfish walls of the main courtyard, like rook pieces on a chess board. The courtyard was alive with the same wild arches and flowers that covered the outside. The king had long ago moved his fortress from Mt. Dedede to Green Greens, representing his more amicable attitude towards the citizens of Dreamland these days. It was still secluded enough to make for a prime location for budding artisans to practice their skills, and this artist was no different.

The young artist Adeleine tended to her canvas with a lazy eye, working automatically without any real regard for the picture itself. The wind drifted through her shoulder length hair, her smock and her skirt, almost as listless as the girl herself. But though she may as well been lounging on the grass beneath her, her strokes remained as steady as the red beret on her head. She was practically painting in her sleep, working off some half-conceived notion from her subconscious.

Suddenly, her eyes flashed open, as if she had just been just shaken awake at 6:00 o'clock in the morning. Adeleine blinked a few times, and finally took a close look at the painting. It was a young, pink puff of a creature, staring winsomely out from the easel with a twinkle in his blue eyes. The creature seemed to beckon unto the beholder with his innocent, yet strong appeal, like all the classic videogame heroes.

Adeleine sighed, as if it was a doodle someone else did. "Another Kirby," she mused to herself.

Then, she tore the painting off the canvas and tossed it onto a large stack of other Kirby pictures, featuring Hard Drinking Detective Kirby, Swashbuckling Conquistador Kirby, and John & Richie's Perfect Kirby. (complete with black stealth suit) Adeleine sighed wearily, finally turning away from her easel to take a short breather, and to stall her quaking heart.

Adeleine had arrived on Pop Star around a year ago, wanting to perfect her craft but not knowing a soul. Despite the girl's awkward appearance (a lanky humanoid among puffy, round creatures), the kind denizens of the land took her in, interested only in a kind person with a magic paint brush. Dreamland's favorite son Kirby was a consistent visitor to her craft, stopping by at least three times a week to view her latest masterpiece. He was an odd, but friendly sort, always called her by the garbled nickname "Ado."

His attentions brought her happiness, but pain as well. Sometimes, she felt as if Kirby was only interested in her artistic ability, and not Adeleine as a girl. ("Ado" sounded remarkably mannish) The young puffball was the nicest young man she had ever known, and she just wanted him to like her, even going as far as to restyle her hair from its original shorter cut. It was true that her art was a large part of who she was, but still...

Adeleine smiled though her sadness, the mere thought of Kirby enough to lift her spirits. In the end, it really made little difference. All that mattered was that she liked him, and because of that, she was happy to draw whatever he wanted to make him happy. She always enjoyed his company, and the special effort he made to see her.

The distinct squeak of clown-like shoes sounded out from behind her, and Adeleine turned behind her with a soft smile to greet the guest. Kirby had arrived right on time, running frantically with his arms flapping about on his sides. It had actually become difficult for Kirby to visit her recently, ever since she had been commissioned by King Dedede for a series of flattering glamor portraits. Although Kirby and the king had recently worked together, there was still a touch of uneasiness between the longtime rivals, and Dedede always kept a suspicious eye on the puff to have sure he wasn't out to steal any food from his stores. (now there's a hypocritical mindset!)

"Hi, Kirby!" Adeleine said, lowering her brush to her side and letting it drip unsteadily onto the grass below her.

"I'm...so tired...and hungry..." Kirby huffed, looking like he just crossed a desert landscape. "Paint me...yummy food..."

She grinned with understanding, and set about the canvas without a word. With swift movements of her watercolor brush, Adeleine produced a succulent strawberry that looked good enough to eat. This was proved in spades as the two-dimensional drawing magically dropped off the drawing board as a real fruit. Kirby wasted no time inhaling the strawberry into his mouth, sucking it down without bothering to even bothering to chew.

"Mmm!" Kirby moaned, somehow tasting the fruit even though it had only spent a nanosecond on his tongue. "Thank you, Ado!" he told her, smiling gratefully at her.

Adeleine nodded repeatedly, glad that she had managed to please him again. "So, what should I draw for you today?" she asked him, putting her free hand on her hip. "I was thinking of doing something primarily in lavender, and I think you'll really like what I have in mind!"

Kirby raised a flipper in response, but was interrupted by a large thudding coming from the Castle Dedede's main chamber, heavy enough to make him lose balance. The Dreamlander fell flat on his face, as the robed penguin King Dedede stormed his way into the garden with an impatient expression upon his beak. "Adeleine, will you have my portrait done by..." he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Kirby. "What's he doing here?" he demanded roughly, pointing his wing towards the puff as if he were an insurance salesman.

"Oh, Kirby's just here to view my latest works," Adeleine answered politely, wondering why she still had to explain this to the king, since Kirby had been dropping by the estate quite frequently in the one-and-a-half weeks she had been working here.

"Ado's much nicer than you are," Kirby said, rising up to return King Dedede's glare tit-for-tat.

"T-thank you, Kirby," Adeleine stammered, a faint flush coming to her soft cheeks.

"Hmph!" Dedede snorted, folding his arms and turning away from the duo. "State your business and get lost!"

Kirby blinked a few times at the gruff ruler, then shook off his trepetition and turned to Adeleine. "Hey Ado, can ya teach me how to draw?" he asked bluntly, ignoring King Dedede as best he could.

"Huh?" Adeleine stared at him curiously, titled her head to the side. She bent down with her hands on her knees to look at him in the face. "You want...to be an artist?" she asked, searching his face for anything out of the ordinary.

"Yeah," Kirby nodded, his expression unchanging. "I gotta picture that I wanna do, but I wanna be more like you first. I gotta get good. Will ya teach me?"

"Oh, Kirby, I'd love to become your painting instructor!" the girl gushed, rushing over to Kirby and pumping his hand (and subsequently, his entire body). "I've always wanted a pupil to teach the craft to! You don't know how happy this makes me!"

"W-wah!" Kirby gurgled, his feet kicking rapidly at the girl pulled him off his feet with surprising strength.

"This is an outrage!" Dedede declared, stomping up to the duo in a flurry of red robes. "I'm not going to have Kirby here 24/7! As the owner of this castle, I demand that you, Adeleine, cease your fraternization with..." He stopped mid sentence as he lowered his noggin to regard his foot, which was currently crumpling the large stack of Kirby doodles. "What is this crap?!" he growled, shaking the appendage as if it had landed in dog droppings.

"King Dedede, be careful!" Adeleine cried, flailing her arms wildly as she and Kirby regarded Dedede with concern. "You can't crinkle those drawings without repercussions!"

"Feh, we have an ironing board in the castle," Dedede waved her off, "All we have to do is...wha?" The penguin king's halted as he felt something stir from beneath him. He blinked in forward, right before he was thrown head over heels onto the grass. He rolled around for a moment, trying to get his bearings, but found his effort were for naught as the 2D Kirby doodles all leapt form their paper confinements and begin to bounce upon the hapless ruler.

"They just don't make Pep Brew like they used do," Detective Kirby groaned, sloshing his beverage drunkenly.

"I claim this island in the name of the Queen of Ripple Star!" Conquistador Kirby declared, planting a flag into Dedede's noggin.

"Yeah, I'm the greatest, YEAH!" Perfect Kirby hollered, firing off twin handguns like a crazed cowboy.

Adeleine sighed sadly. "I told you," she said, lowering her head in admonishment.

"Get out!" Dedede roared, spasming wildly underneath the Kirby doodles. "Both of you GET OUT!"

"...O-kay, see you on Thursday," Perfect Kirby droned in a remarkably deadpan voice.

* * *

Thus, Adeleine was fired from her job as King Dedede's artist-for-hire. It didn't matter much anyway, for she now had a new challenge; training a hopeful protege, Kirby. The two met nearly every day in front of Kirby's domed domicile, setting up shop in the shade of a large tree rooted alongside the house. Kirby would often bring snack fruit from the neighboring forest, and they took on the role of teacher and student at a relative ease.

Adeleine acted as a firm, but gentle hand to steady Kirby's developing artistic talent. She pretty much had to start from scratch, as the extent of his current ability lie in passionate but ultimately sub par scribbles and stick figures. She insisted that he boycott the Paint Ability procured from Cameleoarm, claiming that he could only get better by working off his own talent. Her steady grip on his flippered arm guided him from basic strokes to more complicated mixings of color and lighting.

And slowly, Kirby began to improve. The Dreamlander was extremely imaginative and creative underneath his lighthearted exterior, and Adeleine's tempering was bringing it to the forefront. More important was that Adeleine's spirit began to improve as well. Sharing her hobby with Kirby was sharing her soul, and the young artist had never been happier.

It was a bright, flowery spring day when Kirby dragged Adeleine out of her dwelling, hauling her by the hand halfway across Dreamland. "Come on, it's over here!" he said, laughing with childlike glee. Adeleine giggled as well, simply due of the contagious nature of Kirby's happiness. Whatever this surprise was, he sure was excited about it.

Kirby all of a sudden jerked to a stop, causing Adeleine to nearly stumble over him. As they gathered their breaths, the girl stared around her at her current surrounding. "Your house, Kirby?" she asked him, her eyes momentarily flickering to the easel set up under the tree. "Why are we here?"

But Kirby had already left her side, walking over to the easel, which Adeleine finally noticed was covered with a large tarp. He waved his little flippers with excitement, and the girl slowly inched her way to the canvas, completely in the dark about this mysterious thing of Kirby's. Once she was within three feet, Kirby grasped onto the tarp with a excited smile. With a grand flourish, he unveiled his masterpiece, and Adeleine nearly sucked in a lungful of air though her teeth.

Bursting out in a conflagration of color was the image of Kirby and Adeleine, holding hands amid a sea of flowers. The girl was shocked at how she was represented in the pic; the paint-and-ink Adeleine was starry-eyed, windwhipped, and altogether very girly looking. The quality of the pic was quite a few notch up from his earlier; there was a fine sense of shading and proportion. From a technical standpoint, It was almost as good as the "Save the Queen" image, but this time, it wasn't just the skilled strokes that shook her to the core.

"Kirby..." Adeleine said, putting a hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "Is this...how you see me?"

"Well, yeah!" Kirby said, rubbing the back of his 'head' bashfully. "You're really nice and pretty, and I wanted to show how much I like you for a long time now."

Adeleine was nearly moved to tears, and she struggled to contain her joy. She felt her heart dance like a street performer, and her knees were giving out fast.

"Aw, you sweetie!" she squealed, diving at him with an embrace that knocked the little puff off his feet.

"Ado!" Kirby cried, putting his own arms around her.

Adeleine pulled back a bit from Kirby to look him in the face, shaking her head and smiling. "Call me Adeleine," she told him, a strange twinkle in her ocean-blue eyes. "It sounds more feminine."

With that, she fell upon the young Dreamlander with a kiss that ensnared his mouth like a closing rose bulb. Kirby's eyes widened a moment at the loving gesture, but soon felt himself returning the kiss, rubbing his hand against the side of Adeleine head as if she were a kitty cat. They kissed and hugged for a few moments more before Adeleine broke the liplock with a smack like ticker tape. "It tastes like clovers," she sighed, and Kirby nodded in agreement.

The two haphazardly helped each other to their feet, stumbling and giggling like two lovelorn dance partners with no talent for the waltz. And with clasped hands, they walked towards Kirby's house, ready for a tasty Maxim Tomato and a friendly chat about, art, food, and love.

* * *

'Fin


	4. Chuchu

**Compromise**

**By Myst Knight **

_Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land is owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it. _

* * *

Character Expose: Chuchu

A cute, pink girl blob with a bow on her head, and one of Kirby's new partners in Kirby's Dream Land 3. With her elongated arms, she can pluck up enemies from a great distance. Her favorite spot is perched upon Kirby's head, and she is known to have a quick temper. Chuchu and another blob character, Gooey, originated as point items in Kirby's Dream Land 2.

* * *

It was a bright, sunshiny day in Cloudy Park, with the sun smiling down on the cirrus and cumulus clouds like a benevolent father. Most of the clouds here were capable of holding up weight, so non-flying residents were free to explore the heavens like a fall carnival, popping in an out of the clouds in an eternal game of peek-a-boo. It was a favorite playground of Kirby's, and although he wasn't here today, his friends quite enjoyed it as well.

Chuchu bounced along the cloud tops towards her meeting with Gooey, her amorphic from jiggling like a child's blob toy that never washes out from the couch. Her bow flipped up and down, enhanced the girl's feminine charm. although she was capable of slipping across the landscape like a snail, she had determined it was much more spunky to bounce her way through life. Guys like bouncy girls, right?

Despite her seemingly jovial jaunts, Chuchu didn't having the expression of a girl on her way to meet her best friend. In fact, if you had talked to her a scant three days ago, her opinion of Gooey would be something closer to 'that creepy blob friend of Kirby's that never washes.' There was a sort of resigned frown on her face, as if she was taking three weeks of clothes to the laundry mat, with some murmered cursing to go along with it.

"Come on, girl," she told herself, breathing exasperatedly. "Ya gotta go through with it."

The whole matter started about three weeks ago, during Chuchu's time with Kirby, Gooey, and their animal friends in the forest. Rick the Hamster, Nago the Cat, and Pitch the Bird had already left, so the remaining three had occupied themselves by collecting berries from. Chuchu was doing her best to impress Kirby with the supreme reach of her stretchy appendages. She was getting better too; she could reach two and a half feet longer than she could six months ago.

Kirby had pointed to her side, and Chichi saw that Gooey had surreptitiously eather all the berries she had gathered in her basket, licking that big, obnoxiously long tongue around his globby jaws. Her anger had already been aroused, but what was worse is that Gooey had taken it upon himself to apologize. The sight of his tongue preoffering regurgative food for her ingestion made her stomach turn; he might as well have just horked it up all over her. So Chuchi had punched him into a tree, shaking the the trunk and sending more than a three baskets worth of berries onto the unfortunate creature's head.

Her frown deepened, and creases lined her goopy forehead. She still didn't get why Kirby got so cold with her after that! Okay, so she did him punch hard enough to split apart concrete, but that little goob deserved it! But in the end, all she remember was Kirby giving her this angry frown, and then leaving with Gooey.

That's what pressured her to go seek out Gooey this Sunday, the day Kirby usually slept in until early afternoon. Even if she didn't like Gooey, she liked Kirby, a whole lot in fact. If she ever wanted him to feel comfortable around him, she would have to at least learn to tolerate him. She likened it all to an anger management therapy session.

But of course no one likes attending their anger management, and so Chuchu was still noticeably grouchy. "I mean, it's not my fault it's such a weird little twerp!" she complained outloud. "Doesn't Kirby want a feisty, passionate gal?" She had made this point to Nago awhile, and he told her that she was doomed to be a stereotypical manga girl with that attitude, offering up a wide collection of manga as an example.

And so she was here, behind an outcropping of clouds about ten meters away from Gooey, watching him bumble about a celestial palace at his leisure. The blue-black blob was meandering back and forth in self-amusement, making little Pokemon noises. "Gooey, gooey, goo," he burbled to himself, enthralled beyond belief. Already she could feel the irritance boiling in the pit of her stomach.

Still, she had gone this far, right? "Get it together now," Chuchu murmured to herself, gathering up her nerves for one final jaunt. "...Okay!" And with her mouth crinkled into a faux grin, she hopped into plain view of the young blob to greet him.

Gooey did not take her intrusion well. "Gooey...GOOEY!" he wailed, his tongue firing out of his mouth like a snake in a can bought from a gag store. "Googoogoogoogoo...!" The blue blob promptly hightailed it around a pillar sticking out of the clouds, morphing his body sideways so that it could not be seen by the pink blob. There, he shivered in abject terror, obviously expecting another beating for not clearing out fast enough.

"Gooey, wait, come out!" Chuchu cried, putting blobby 'hands' around to project her voice. _Oh heck, I've given him a complex!_ she thought, a new strain of guilt shooting through her heart. "It's alright, we can share the cloud!" she tried.

The blob peered out cautiously, his googly eyes haphazardly trained on her. Chuchu sweated for a brief moment, and then offered him a goofy, strained grim to appeased him.

Slowly, Gooey began to creep out from behind the pillar, moving like a slug with a case of indigestion. Chuchu kept up her school-photo-smile, and Gooey continued moving towards him. Finally, he came within a few feet of her, finally seeming to relax. "Gooey gooey," he said to her, as means of a greeting.

"Uh, yeah," the girl blob said, looking over to the side to gather her thoughts. "Sooooo...what's new?" she asked awkwardly, the words coming out of her mouth like loose bricks on an aging library.

"Gooey," he responded.

"Uh huh," Chuchu responded, a nervous laugh forcing its way out of her throat. _Geez, why do we have Pokemon talk in this fanfic?_ she thought to herself. _It's so difficult this way. _

Her internal monologue distracted her from Gooey's next actions, and when she was focused again, she found the blue blob was presenting her with a small bag similar to the packaging of grocery store candies.

"Er...for me?" she asked cautiously, trying to keep her face from grimacing. The bag was not full of candy, but with small chocolate covered beetles, some of which still seemed to be moving slightly. Gooey just nodded, though, his tongue sticking out at an awkward angle. So it was with a nervous twitch that Chuchu reached into the bag with an elongating arm, drawing out exactly one chocolate beetle and placing it gingerly in her mouth.

To be fair, the cholocate coating did a lot to negate the sensation of chomping though shells and spindly legs. It was still eating live insects, but the nasty feeling of it all was somewhat blunted. All in all, Chuchu got through it, ingesting the beetle quickly and offering Gooey a pained smile. "Um...good?" she tried, a dry, mirthless chuckle emanating from her lips.

This was enough to please the blue blob. "Gooey goo!" he cheered, plopping over to Chuchu's side and delivering to her a slobbery lick on the side of her face.

"Heh heh, okay..." the girl blob murmured, a crisscross of veins popping up on the side of her head. _Stay calm. Do not belt Gooey. It's for Kirby. For Kirby... _

While Chuchu struggled to regain her composure, Gooey proceeded over to a small incline of clouds a little ways from the pillar. Upon arrival, he sought out the girl's attention with a display of jumping and tongue lashing. Causiously creeping over to the blue blob's side, she peered over and glancing over the edge to look down at the incline. Close up, it appeared to be a slide like what you might find at a water park, only made entirely of slippery nimbus clouds.

"So...what exactly do we do here?" Chuchu asked suspiciously, raising a non-existent eyebrow in Gooey's general direction.

"Gooey," he replied, his manner dull and unworthy of comment.

* * *

"Ahhhhhh...!" Chuchu screamed, the blustering gales blowing her open mouth like a wind sail. She hung on to Gooey for dear life as they both slid down the twisting incline. Gooey's tongue was flapping out of his hedonistic smile, constantly slapping the girl behind him like a wet, uncooked salmon. She struggled to get the tongue out of his face as she stared, goggle-eyed, at the quickly-scrolling cloudscape that passed them by as if they were on a train.

Chuchu struggled to retain her lunch as they hsot down faster and faster through the hairpin turns and the steep, downward slopes that seemed more like drop-offs than anything else. Worse still, they weren't alone. Chuchu could see a gaggle of Cloudy Park denizens waiting for them around the next turn. At this speed, they would plow right into them, and Chuchu and Gooey's gelantious bodies would be just another splatter for the clean up crew.

"Gooey. we're going to run right into them!" she panicked, grasping his head in a vice-like pinch. "Do something do something DO SOMETHING!"

Gooey responded by simply pulling out a large lollipop from his flappy folds. To Chuchu 's horror, he began to lick his candy quite casually, as if he was on a Sunday drive.

"This is NO TIME to be EATING!" Chuchu hollered futilely, her voice being carried away from Gooey by the wind sheer. Gooey paid no attention to her, and continued to slurp at the lollipop with his oversized tongue.

...suddenly, Gooey's entire body began to give off small sparks, flashing like a broken neon sign at a Pep Brew bar. He became as if enflamed, and bowled over the creatures as easily as if he were flung as a set of pins. Chuchu gaped at this accomplishment, then peered over Gooey to regard his lollipop carefully, which she noticed had a small star sticking out on the side. _Invincible Candy,_ she thought to herself in a moment of clear-headedness.

That clear-headedness gave way to light-headedness, as the duo continued to speed down the slide. Chuchu felt the adrenaline pump through her system, the excitement slowly pushing her fear down her gullet. She could feel the force of the chilled wind blowing against her face, as if she was riding in a convertible instead of on top of Gooey's back. Slowly, but surely, excitement started to flood her heart and soul.

That is, until the slide ride abruptly ended. The incline did not empty out onto another patch of clouds, but dropped off into a mile-high fall into the ground below. Chuchu felt her heart enter her throat, more by gravity than anything else. "Okay, not fuuuunnnnnn!" the girl blob screamed out, as she and Gooey plopped off the slite to what she felt was their apparent demise.

Then, she suddenly felt a strong force yank her from the air, suspending her mid-fall. Chuchu suddenly gasped, trying to compose herself enough to figure out what was going on. As it turned out, a small pink flipper had grabbed onto her side, hoisting her above the distant trees and hills that were now toylike in their appearance. That arm belonged to a round, pink creature, with red shoes and a gentle, unassuming nature.

"Kirby!" she smiled, her face exuding the warmth of a million sunbeams.

"Did you have fun?" he asked her, giving forth an innocent, winsome smile.

Taking a moment as if to ponder over the question, Chuchu looked over to her right. Gooey's long tongue was wrapped around Kirby's left shoe, his open mouth giving him a crazed expression of joy. She smiled slightly, and turned back to Kirby. "Yeah, I did," she told him, nodding with good cheer. "And what a great surprise at the end too!"

Without warning, the young, amorphous female swept up and nailed Kirby with a kiss on the lips. _It tastes like candy,_ Chuchu thought to herself, as she continued to partake of the pink blob. _Or chocolate-covered beetles, maybe? _

* * *

'Fin


	5. Bubbles

**Clu Clu**

**By Myst Knight**

_Disclaimer: Kirby's Dream Land is owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratories. Clu Clu Land is owned by Nintendo. I write this without consent, and am making no money off of it._

* * *

Character Expose: Bubbles

Princess Bubbles is the main character of Clu Clu Land, a red fish with curiously human-like hands. Using her underwater gymnastics ability and her sonic shock wave, she swings about poles in the underwater Clu Clu Land, trying to regain the gold bars stolen by the villainous Unira.

* * *

It was just his luck that such a big adventure should happen on his day off.

Kirby has pulled out the old fishing rod, and was settling down on the shores of Float Islands to catch a Blipper or two. His feet dabbled about in the soft surf as he rubbed his tummy, eager for some fresh seafood, with maybe a pinch of spice. So far, today has been slim pickings, his only prior catch being a rather "squishy" squid that insisted on clinging to his face. He had thrown that one back, the tough, springy meat not worth the effort of tussling with it.

Other than that inconvenience, it had been a lazy afternoon. The bubbly clouds meandered across the sky, causing sunlight and shadow to drift about Kirby's spot on the beach. The young puffball let out a short sigh as a shining sunbeam beat down upon his face, causing him to squint. He was not an impatient Dreamlander, but it was getting time to eat soon, and the lethargic weather was sapping his resolve fast.

Suddenly, an electric spasm shot through the wire of his fishing rod, nearly yanking the object out of his hands. At once awake and alert, Kirby set about fighting his ocean opponent, yanking on the rod with a steady motion. Although not too heavy, the current catch on the line was a fierce fighter, and he had to bend the rod almost to the breaking point in order to keep it from making off with the bait. But if there was anything Kirby was good at, it was grabbing a free meal, and soon he was reeling the rambunctious fish out of the deep and towards the small island.

With a popping splash, a large, red bubble fish was heaved out of the water, falling straight into Kirby's fishing basket. The fish was about the size of Kirby himself, with a distinctive bucktoothed mouth, and mammalian arms in place of fins. Most noteworthy, however, was the wit and wile emanating from its black eyes, which were now focused in fury at its captor. "Hey, what'd ya do that fer?" it hollered out, waving its hands haphazardly. "I thought you were offerin' me a snack!"

Kirby blinked at the intelligent speech coming from the creature, but offered up a wave nonetheless. "Hi, I'm Kirby!" he said, smiling down at his latest catch. "What's your name?"

"It's not 'dinner', I'll tell ya that!" the fish griped, struggling to put its hands on the ground from its position within the basket. Utilizing superior upper arm strength, it pushed against the wet compacted sand, forcing its body up and out of the basket. With a show of wounded dignity, the fish straightened up on small feet that were much the same as Kirby's. "This is brutish treatment for a lady such as myself!" she finished up, placing her hands on non-existent hips.

"Oh!" Kirby's small pupils shone with surprise. "You're a girl?"

"Doncha know anythin'!" she said, thrusting her face in front of his and showing off the shine on her front tooth. "Of course I am!"

"That's good." Kirby nodded cheerily. "You're more pretty than tasty, anyway."

The girl fish gaped at Kirby, rearing back from him in a sweat. Had it not been for the red skin, it would've been clear that she was blushing rather hotly.

As the fish's discomfort mounted, however, it was also clear that Kirby's compliment was not the only reason for her distress. "G-Glurp!" she gurgled, falling backwards and thrashing about on the sands.

"Are you hungry, too?" Kirby asked her, noting her behavior as similar to his hunger pains.

"Water!" she gasped, grabbing at his flubby exterior. "I need WATER!"

Kirby said nothing, but gathered up the young fish in his arms and steadily paced toward the ocean. "What's you name?" he asked again as he waded into the wavy waters.

"B-Bubbles!" she sputtered out, drips and drops flying from her throat. "Hurry!"

Once the water had gotten deep enough, Kirby dumped the fish unceremoniously back into the frothy ocean. Bubbles released some of her namesake as her gills took in the oxygen rich ocean, and her face regained its earlier rich sheen. Poking her head up from the water, she gave Kirby a bucktoothed smile, her previous ire completely forgotten. "Thanks a bunch!" she said. "Where didja say this was, anyway?"

"We're on Float Islands!" he told her, motioning to the small collection of islands that made up the aforementioned area. "It's the best spot for fishing!"

"Oh criminy!" Bubbles slapped herself on the noggin. "I'm way off course! I was tryin' to reach Clu Clu Land before nightfall, and I thought I could take a short cut around the pirate ship."

"You mean the one in Orange Ocean?" Kirby corrected her. "That's west from here."

"Doink!" Bubbles berated herself, stink out her tongue. "That's where I got turned around! Hey, thanks a bunch!" She reached out for a handshake, and Kirby took it with a wide smile.

He stopped for a moment, blinking. Bubbles hadn't released his hand yet, and was squeezing it rather firmly. "Ya know," she began, her eyes taking on a lovely luster. "I bet Daddy would like to meet a kindly gent such as yourself."

"Poyo?" Kirby tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Doncha know?" She winked at him. "I'm princess of the whole kingdom of Clu Clu Land! We've been fighin the Unira for twenty-nine years now! I'm responsible for helpin' my dad regain all our precious gold from those sticky suckers! We're in a lot of trouble, Kirby!"

At the call of adventure, Kirby stood up straight in the sand. "Than I'm your guy!" he cried, pounding his chest with macho aplomb.

"Would ja?" Bubbles clasped his hand within both of hers. "You're too sweet!"

"Heh heh!" Kirby laughed nervously, placing his free hand on the back of his head.

A brief second later, Bubbles' eyes flashed with realization. "Oooh, we gotta split!" she said, and began to drag him towards the sea. "Come along now, Kirby!"

"P-Poyo!" he gasped as Bubbles kicked up a wave of surf, taking Kirby with her on a new, fantastic voyage under the ocean waves.

* * *

"Kuru Kuru Kuru!" Bubbles hollered as she whirled about on a pole jutting out from the darkness, creating a spiral out of the ocean current. She let go of the pole, and her sustained centrifugal force propelled her toward the far wall while she collected as many gold bars as she could find. "Let's keep goin'!" she squealed, jetting off towards the next pole to start spinning once again.

"Wait, Bubbles!" Kirby scrambled after her, swimming along the bottom of the ocean as fast as his stubby arms could carry him. "I can't swim like you!"

The two had made their way into a colorful labyrinth of fluorescent green walls and jutting poles, sifting through the inky darkness to uncover the gold bars hidden within. All around them were the venomous Unira: toxic sea urchins that maneuvered about the maze trying to snag Bubbles and Kirby. Bubbles, for her part, was always one step ahead of the Unira, using the poles to spin around the labyrinth like a laboratory rat. It was Kirby that was lagging behind, wobbling forth to the best of his ability, and soon finding himself surrounded by Unira.

"W-Wha!" Kirby cried, as he narrowly avoided being punctured by an urchin's sinister spike. "That's spiky!"

Bubbles stopped for a moment, wrapping her hand securely around a pole. "C'mon, Kirby!" she berated him, scowling from across the maze. "Cancha keep up?"

But further criticism was unnecessary, ad Kirby has just gotten his second wind. Using his patented underwater inhaling learned during the Ripple Star Crystal incident, he sucked up each of the three Unira that had surrounded him, earning himself a powerful Needle ability with the help of his inborn copying power. Using his new-found skill, he transfigured himself into a long, pointed spire much like a jouster's lance. "Bubbles, take this!" he cried, hoping his voice would carry through the thick ocean.

Bubbles stared at him for a moment, but after seeing Kirby's smile, quickly got the message. Making her way over to the transformed Kirby with a series of twists and turns, she grabbed hold of the makeshift lance and held it in front of her like a battering ram. With a kick of her legs, she pushed herself off the nearest wall, straight towards a conga line of Unira. Soon, she was effortlessly plowing through the beasties, covering massive amounts of ground on a fast track to mayhem.

"Yee-hooooo!" Bubbles squealed, running through enough Unira to make a shish kebab snack. "This is much easier than shockin' them!"

"Yup!" Kirby agreed from his position within her grip.

With a shake of her "spear", she flung the skewered enemies off into the depths of the ocean. Letting go of the weapon, Bubbles set about appraising her stashe while the Dreamland puffball regained his original form. "Let's have a look-see," she said, throwing a glance beside her as Kirby waded to her side. "Two pineapples, one banana, an alarm clock...and money!" She grinned toothily as she tossed a fat sack of cash into the pile.

"What's this flag do?" Kirby asked, reaching over to the aforementioned object, which had somehow gotten lost amongst all the collectibles.

"Oh, that's a 1-UP," she explained, shrugging it off as she admired the clock's 8-bit craftsmanship. "I don't need it with yer help."

"Wait, lemme see!" Kirby suddenly picked up the flag and began folding it within his hands. Before Bubbles could stop him, he was already performing some quick origami work, detaching the stick from the cloth and throwing it off to the side. There!" he said, admiring his artistic aspiration. Bubbles goggled at Kirby's expertise; the flag had now been transformed into a beautiful, white bow, fit for the finest aristocrat.

"Wow, Kirby, that's really special stuff!" Bubbles said, smiling down at the creation.

Kirby grinned, as he picked up the bow and moved toward her. Bubbles gasped as Kirby intruded within her personal...er. bubble, and pressed his hands upon her temples. However, Kirby's touch was light, and she soon relaxed, letting Kirby do whatever he was going to do. Before she knew it, Kirby had affixed the white bow to her head, which now stood in sharp contrast with the red hue of her skin.

"Now you're even prettier!" Kirby cheered, nodding in affirmation. "Just like Chuchu!"

Bubbles hadn't the slightest clue who this "Chuchu" was, but the look in Kirby's eyes said it all. She turned away from Kirby, flushed from this sudden show of affection. She could feel the bow's presence on her head, augmenting her sensibilities in a manner befitting that of a princess. Kirby had plucked her from the water like a fisherman, but maybe she was the one with a catch on her hands...

* * *

The flaming sunset suited the tropical setting of Orange Ocean quite nicely, covering its sweet-tooth waters with a sparkling, soda-pop veneer. Fallen coconuts lined the beach alongside Kirby and Bubbles, who were just about to part ways for the evening. Off in the distance, the old pirate ship could be seen glowing like gold, a vessel as romantic as it was seaworthy. It was enough to bring a hint of emotion even to Kirby, standing on the beach as Bubbles looked up at him from her place at the edge of the water.

"Thanks fer helpin' me nab that gold." she said, placing her arms behind her back in a shy gesture. "It'd have been hard without yer help."

"Sure!" Kirby nodded, cradling the one gold bar Bubbles had let him keep.

The girl fish beseeched him with bashful eyes, and she fidgeted with the white bow in her head. "Will ya stay in Clu Clu land with me?" Bubbles asked, shuffling around in the water. "My Daddy's pretty nice, and we could give ya a room near the kitchen."

Though the offer of free food made Kirby's mouth water, he shook his head nonetheless. "I gotta stay here in Dreamland so King Dedede doesn't act up," he told her. "He's a mischievous fellow!"

Bubbles smiled wistfully, and swam closer to grasp Kirby's hand. "You come visit now, y'hear?" she said. "I wanna keep my Dreamland pal close."

"You bet!" Kirby said.

Bubbles smiled back at him, cradling her hand within hers. Then, she darted forward and gave Kirby a quick peck on the lips, standing on her foes within the shallow surf. Kirby's eyes grew wide as dinner plates at he stared at the young fish, who had retreated back into the water with a loopy smile on her face. "Gee, you taste like octopus, Kirby!" she stated, her eyes twinkling like ocean pearls.

Then, with a toss of seaspray, she jumped back into the water. "See ya later!" Bubbles cried out behind her as she quickly made off into the distance, transforming into nothing more than a little red blip.

Kirby stared off after her with a look of confusion on his face. He brought his hand to his mouth, feeling the gentle hint of ocean salt upon his lips. Slowly, a smile emboldened itself upon his features, and he gazed towards the undersea world his new friend was now returning to. "That was the best time fishing I had," he said to himself. "I wonder what'll happen next time?"

* * *

'Fin


End file.
